Alleged New Zealand Gunman Chose Firearms For Attack For ‘Effect … On The Politics Of The United States’

An alleged gunman behind Friday’s deadly mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, reportedly wrote his weapon of choice was firearms for “the effect it could have on the politics of United States and thereby the political situation of the world” in a manifesto that has been linked to him.

New Zealand and U.S. gun laws share some similarities but in many respects New Zealand’s laws are stricter. The shootings that left at least 49 dead have already prompted headlines from outlets like CNN about New Zealand’s “lax” gun laws.

Like in the United States and Canada, most guns in New Zealand do not need to be registered. The country does not require registry for most rifles and shotguns for people over the age of 16 with entry-level firearm licenses, according to Yahoo! News. Only about 4 percent of its guns are registered, according to researcher Philip Alpers quoted by The Guardian.

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In the U.S., federal law bars the use of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to create any system of registration of firearms or firearm owners, according to the Giffords Law Center. Some states like New York have registries for weapons they define as assault weapons.

The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed a gun control package in February that contained ideas also being pushed for in New Zealand. The U.S. bill faced criticism from House Republicans, some of whom said it would result in a federal gun registry, reported NBC News.

The U.S. House’s gun control legislation would also require background checks on all individuals buying guns, whether they purchase in-store, at a gun show or via the internet. This would close the so-called “gun show loophole” that did not require sellers at gun shows to conduct checks, although many venues and states have laws that require those kinds of sellers to conduct background checks.

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Meanwhile, New Zealand Police conducts background checks on all aspiring gun owners. Self defense is not considered a sufficient reason to purchase a gun, and two individuals, including a spouse or parent, must vouch for the potential gun owner in interview with police, reported The Brisbane Times.

New Zealanders possess an estimated 1.2 million firearms, meaning the country has a rate of roughly one gun per three people, according to The Guardian. That rate is much lower than the rate in the U.S., where some estimate there are more guns than people.

Forty-one people died at the Al Noor mosque and seven at the Linwood mosque in New Zealand Friday, according to CNN. One person succumbed to their injuries after being rushed to the hospital.

“I chose firearms for the affect it would have on social discourse, the extra media coverage they would provide and the effect it could have on the politics of United States and thereby the political situation of the world,” the manifesto states according to The Guardian.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that an Australian man had been arrested in New Zealand.

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